Vladimir Putin Seeks "Statehood" for Eastern Ukraine

A day after the European Union gave Russia a week to reduce tensions in Ukraine, Russia's President Vladimir Putin put forth a new idea Sunday suggesting that talks should begin on "the statehood" of Ukraine's violence-hit southeast region to resolve the 10-month-old conflict.

During a pre-recorded television interview, Putin presented this "vague and provocative turn of phrase" while demanding that the Ukrainian government must negotiate directly with the pro-Russian separatists, the New York Times reports.

"We must immediately begin substantive, meaningful negotiations, not on technical questions, but about the political organization of society and the statehood of Ukraine's southeast for the unconditional securing of the legal interests of the people who live there," Putin said.

Putin's spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov clarified saying that Putin was not calling for independence of eastern Ukraine; but was only seeking inclusive negotiations that would enable the southeast region to practice greater autonomy as it remained a part of the country.

Putin added: "Russia cannot stand aside when people are being shot at almost at point blank," and described the actions of the rebels as "the natural reaction of people who are defending their rights."

Over the past week, the West has accused Russia of backing the rebels with arms as well as men, and also of sending troops to Ukraine to launch a counteroffensive. This threatened the key city of Mariupol and also left scores of government troops encircled.

The European Union is hesitating in imposing new economic sanctions on Russia, but vowed that if Russia did not change its policy within a week more sanctions will be put in place, the Washington Post reports.

Putin dismissed the EU's threat of imposing further sanctions, and went ahead to accuse the EU of "backing a coup d'etat" in Ukraine, BBC reports.